Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr.

Sarapan, A., Chamchumroon, V., Hodkinson, T. R. & Suwanphakdee, C., 2024, Taxonomic revision of Disporum (Colchicaceae) from Thailand including four new species, Blumea 69 (2), pp. 139-160 : 148

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2024.69.02.04
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D31809-FF99-9C30-3A3F-FA32FAFAFB2D
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr.
status

Treatment

2. Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr. View in CoL — Fig. 3 View Fig , 5 View Fig , 6 View Fig ; Map 1

Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr. (1919) 229; H.Hara, Stearn & L.H.J.Williams (1987) 72; H. Hara (1988) 183; Songyun & M. N.Tamura (2000) 154. — Fritillaria cantoniensis Lour. (1790) 206. — Type: not indicated .

Uvularia chinensis Ker Gawl. (1806) View in CoL pl. 916. — Disporum pullum Salisb. (1812) View in CoL 331, nom. superfl.; D. Don (1841) 521; Baker (1874) 589; Hook.f. (1894) 360; Char. (1973) 88. — Lectotype (designated by Merrill 1919): Ker Gawler (1806) pl. 916.

Perennial, erect herbs. Rhizomes short, horizontal. Aerial stems 44–170 cm long; the lower part 25–131 cm long, green; the upper part 13–60 cm long with 2 ridges; distally 2–7-branched; internodes 2.5–19 cm long. Cataphylls 3–9, 3–9.5 by 0.8–4 cm, brown or reddish brown. Leave s: lamina narrow-lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 5.5–17.5 by 1.8–7 cm, upper surface glabrous, base obtuse, margin dentate, revolute, apex acuminate, veins 3–10; petiole very short, 2–7 mm long, green with purple at proximal end. Inflorescences umbellate, 2–11 flowers; peduncle 1–15 mm long, green. Flowers campanulate, 8–20 mm long; pedicel 2–15 mm long, green with purple at both ends. Tepals oblong to narrow-obovate or lanceolate or elliptic, 1.3–1.8 by 0.3–0.6 cm, keeled without papillae, dark red or a dark dull red, base densely scabrous on both sides, green or light green, margin dentate, apex dark (dull) red. Spur s gibbous, 1– 3 mm long, rounded, glabrous, light green; ridges 3, thickened, glabrous, dark purple. Stamens 5–15 mm long; filament 4–10 mm long, glabrous, white; anther basifixed, yellow. Ovaries obovate to oblong, 7–15 by 2–3 mm, green or light green; style 4–15 mm long, white or purple, glabrous. Fruits globose, 5–7 by 8–10 mm, green and dark blue to black when ripening. Seeds 2 – 5, triangular or subglobose, brown or light brown, glabrous.

Distribution — India, China, Tibet, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam Thailand (Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Nan, Lamphun, Loei), Malaysia, Indonesia.

Habitat & Ecology — In open areas or along roadsides of mixed deciduous or evergreen forests (pine forest) at 800– 1600 m elevation. Flowering: June to August; fruiting: July to December.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status — A conservation status of LC is proposed. Disporum cantoniense is a very widespread species across SE Asia. It is distributed in the protected forest regions of the Northern, Northeastern and South-Western phytogeographical areas of Thailand.

Anatomical characters — Upper stem: two ridges ( Fig. 3c View Fig ). Petiole heart shaped with ridges ( Fig. 3f View Fig ). Leaves: upper epidermis cell above costal zone with echinate cuticle and intercostal zone with smooth cuticle; lower epidermal cells of costal zone with echinate cuticle and intercostal zone with smooth cuticle; margin revolute; anticlinal walls of adaxial epidermis sinuate ( Fig. 3h View Fig ).

Pollen morphological characters — For polar and equatorial views see Fig. 5e, f View Fig . Pollen in equatorial view with bilateral symmetry, prolate (P/E = 1.30–1.41 ± 0.03 µm), medium-sized (38–41 by 28–30 µm). Aperture monosulcate ( Fig. 5g View Fig ). Exine 1–3 ± 0.43 µm thick; ornamentation rugulate with granulate surface ( Fig. 5h View Fig ).

Note — Disporum cantoniense is distinguished by its campanulate flowers with dark red or dark dull red perianth. The spur is gibbous, 1–3 mm long, with 3 ridges. The basal tepal is densely scabrous. The filament is glabrous and white.